England’s greatest run-scorer Joe Root gives pep talk to Yorkshire team-mates
JOE ROOT has delivered a pep talk to his Yorkshire team-mates, advising them not to try too hard and instead just to play the game in front of them as they look to kick-start their County Championship campaign.
The 35-year-old – England’s leading run-scorer across the formats – is with the club for three games prior to the international summer.
After the first of those games, against Sussex at Headingley, Root gave a motivational speech in the dressing room as the club attempts to improve on a record of two draws and a defeat in Division One.
“Joe spoke in the dressing room after the match, just about the team and how talented they all are, about how although we’ve not started well, he’s been impressed with the work ethic and how everyone’s trying to get better,” said Anthony McGrath, the Yorkshire head coach.
“He was speaking about just playing the game, rather than trying to be too perfect with technique and over-trying because I think there’s been an element of that.
“Everyone's wanting to do so well, and Joe was talking about people backing their belief and really enjoying the challenge of finding a way to get runs and wickets, playing the game that’s in front of you, basically.
“When someone like him says it, it has a lot more weight than when it’s coming from a silly coach.”
McGrath said he was encouraging the players to learn as much as possible from Root, whose second appearance will be against Somerset at Taunton in the match that starts on Friday.
Root will sit out the following week’s trip to Warwickshire and then play the final game of his three-match spell against Surrey at Headingley from May 15, a contest for which his England colleague Harry Brook is also available as well as the Warwickshire fixture.
“We're encouraging all the young lads to tap into Joe’s experience while he's here,” said McGrath.
“Someone who's played as much cricket as he has, he's seen pretty much every scenario, every up and down in the game, so that can fast-forward a lot of learnings within the guys.
“He’s one of the best to ever play, so if you get him in your team it’s something to be treasured.
“The England guys get a lot of stick sometimes about not playing (county cricket), but I think Joe would play cricket every day of the week if he could, and we’ve just got to treasure him while he’s here because it’s not just the runs and the wickets he brings, it’s what he does for the team and how the younger guys can learn from everything he does.”
Root hit 96 in his solitary innings in the Sussex match – his first in first-class cricket since the Sydney Test in early January.
Prior to the game, he spent time passing on his knowledge and experience to Yorkshire’s Academy prospects – a gesture that McGrath said summed up the man.
“Joe did a couple of hours with the Academy,” he said.
“He did a bit of a masterclass on playing spin bowling and methods and stuff like that, which was just incredible for those young players.
“There was no one around. No press. He wasn’t doing it to kind of say, ‘Look how good I am’, or anything like that.
"It was completely under the radar. No one would have known, and you don't do that unless you love the game and are heavily invested in the club as well.
“I think Joe knows how much the club helped him in his younger years, and he wants to give back as much as he possibly can.
“It’s just been super to have him back and to have him around.”